Welcome back to the Truth About Recording and Mixing brought to you from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard, Washington. This episode is features multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer Steve Dawson. Steve is an accomplished musician (seven Juno awards!) and producer known for his work in Zubat & Dawson, Birds of Chicago, and numerous other bands. He’s also the producer and host of the essential Music Makers & Soul Shakers podcast. This conversation tells his story of coming up in the Vancouver music scene in the ’90s to his current home in Nashville. We also dig into some of his techniques for capturing a band in a room.
0:00 – Welcome back
01:55 – Listener feedback on overall level of the podcast
03:05 – Listener question on mics for recording singers, traditional and non traditional
07:29 – Welcome Steve Dawson
12:00 – Steve’s formative years in Vancouver BC
17:20 – Zubat & Dawson, Great Uncles of the Revolution
21:30 – Bruce Fairbairn
25:25 – the Factory years leading into
35:25 – The Henhouse Studio
44:35 – Touring life with Birds of Chicago & Matt Anderson
49:00 – Pandemic times & remote setups
56:00 – The Henhouse Express – a fully remote recorded song in one week.
60:00 – Steve’s upcoming releases – touring in these late pandemic times.
68:36 – The Henhouse Hang, a recording seminar at Steve’s in Nashville.
72:00 – Steve’s approach to a session with a full band. Mic techniques for upright bass, drums, a singer with a guitar, mandolin & fiddle.
79:00 – upright bass!
86:00 – a brief aside on the Spectra 610 compressor
90:00 – recording a singer with guitar
95:00 – mandolins (and fiddles)
100:08 – Steve’s podcast Music Makers & Soul Shakers
Gear mentioned:
Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina
Neumann M49
Neumann KM84
Coles 4038
RCA 44
Royer 121
AEA 44
AEA R88
AKG D20
Demeter Mic Pre / compressors
Rolls Summing Box
Chandler TG-2
API 512
Spectra Sonics V610
Spectra Sonics 600
Spectra Sonics 712 Amp
Thank you for listening to the Truth About Recording & Mixing. Please keep sending us your questions (voice memos are great!) to podcast@fretboardjounal.com
www.johnnysangster.com
www.cracklepopstudio.com
